To run a caravan and camping site in the District of Maldon, you need a licence from us. Tented camp sites are controlled under separate legislation.
From 1 April 2014, The Mobile Homes Act 2013 introduced changes to Mobile Homes Site Licensing. The Act is designed to give greater protection to occupiers of residential caravan and mobile homes. It also gives the Council greater powers to monitor Mobile Home Site licences to ensure conditions are met to carry out effective enforcement where appropriate.
The changes have no impact on holiday caravan site licences.
Conditions may be attached to a licence to cover any of the following:
- restricting when caravans can be on the site for human habitation or restricting the number of caravans that can be on the site at any one time
- controlling the types of caravans on the site
- controlling the positioning of the caravans or regulating the use of other structures and vehicles including tents
- to ensure steps are taken to enhance the land, including planting / replanting bushes and trees
- fire safety and firefighting controls
- to ensure that sanitary and other facilities, services and equipment are supplied and maintained.
The site owner may set site rules on residential caravan sites. The Council does not enforce these rules, although some rules may be a duplicate of the site licence conditions. The site rules are part of the contract between the home owner and supplement the Mobile Homes Act Agreement. The rules that appear below have been written by the site owners and not Maldon District Council.
Site Rules for Riverside Caravan Park Althorne
Eligibility criteria
- The applicant must be entitled to use the land as a caravan site, this includes the relevant planning permission or be in the process of obtaining the required planning permission to operate as a recognised residential caravan, mobile home or park home site. These sites are commonly known as 'relevant projected sites'.
- Licences will not be issued to applicants who have had a site licence revoked within 3 years of the current application.
Regulation summary
- Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960
- Mobile Homes Act 2013
- The Mobile Homes (Site Rules) (England) Regulations 2014
Changes to the sale/gifting of park homes and site rules
The new mobile home legislation introduced changes to the sale/gifting of park homes and amendments to the annual pitch fee review procedure. In addition, existing site rules will eventually be replaced with new site rules to be deposited with the local authority. The Act also bans a number of unfair site rules/practices.